Archive for the ‘Censorship’ Category

International Groups Call on Turkey’s Parliament to Reject the Disinformation Bill as a Tool of Digital Censorship – PEN America

Twenty-three international media freedom, freedom of expression, and journalists organizations today called for the immediate dismissal of the bill on disinformation and fake news which was submitted to the parliament on May 27 by the governing alliance of Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The bill threatens up to three years imprisonment for those found guilty of the deliberate publishing of disinformation and fake news intended to instigate fear or panic, endanger the countrys internal or external security, public order and general health of Turkeys society.

Such a bill, where the definition of disinformation and intent is left so vague, puts millions of Turkeys internet users at risk of criminal action for posting information that the government disagrees with.

Placed in the hands of Turkeys highly politicized judiciary, the law would become another tool for harassing journalists and activists and may cause blanket self-censorship across the internet.

The bill would also increase any sentence by 50 percent where information is published from anonymous user accounts. This severely undermines anonymity on the internet and further intimidates those wanting to publish evidence of corruption and wrongdoing but are afraid of the consequences of being publicly identified.

The governing alliance claim the bill is in line with the European Unions Digital Services Act and General Data Protection Regulation, however there are no such provisions under either of these laws.

The law would also bring news sites under the Press Law (Basin Kanunu). This gives their journalists access to the official press accreditation and also to public advertising funds through the official Press Advertising Agency, Basin Ilan Kurumu (BIK). In practice however this will simply enable the government to fund pro-government news sites while banning critical media deemed to have breached the disinformation law.

In the drafting stage, the government reportedly organized a consultation with international digital platforms yet it failed to hold any meetings with media representatives, editors, journalism associations, or unions, despite these groups, and their members, being the most affected by the legislation.

The draft bill is currently before the Parliament. However the role of parliament has been so heavily undermined by the Presidential system that the bill is being rushed through without proper scrutiny or debate and expected to be passed swiftly into law within days.

Disinformation is an important issue and needs to be combatted but not at the price of restricting journalists rights and the publics rights of freedom of expression. Any such initiatives should be developed in close consultation with media and other stakeholders and include sufficient safeguards for free speech and independent journalism that can prevent their abuse by the government to impose arbitrary censorship.

We, therefore, call on all Turkeys parliamentarians who believe in the parliamentary process and the free flow of ideas and information as central to a democratic society to vote down this bill.

SignatoriesInternational Press Institute (IPI)ARTICLE 19Articolo 21Association of European JournalistsCommittee to Protect JournalistsEnglish PENEuropean Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)Foreign Media Association (FMA)IFEXInternational Federation of Journalists (IFJ)Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)Media Research Association (MEDAR)OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)PEN AmericaPEN InternationalPEN NorwayPlatform for Independent Journalism (P24)Reporters Without Borders (RSF)South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)Swedish PenThe Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support ProjectWorld Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)

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International Groups Call on Turkey's Parliament to Reject the Disinformation Bill as a Tool of Digital Censorship - PEN America

Gangster Gangaraju Censor report and run time – Tollywood

Gangster Gangaraju Censor report and run time

Gangster Gangaraju is an upcoming Telugu movie which is gearing up for the grand release very soon. The movie is directed by Eeshaan Suryaah and will feature Nihar Kapoor, Laksh Chadalavada, Vedieka Dutt, Vennela Kishore and Srikanth Iyyengar as lead characters. The movie also has Goparaju Ramana, Satyakrishan, Raviteja Nannimala, Charan Deep,Srikanth Iyenger, Rajeshwari Nair, Sammeta Gandhi, Rajendra, Anu Manasa, Lavanya Reddy, Annapoorna, and others in the important roles. According to the latest update, Gangster Gangaraju has completed the censor formalities and received U/A certificate from the censor board. The movie has crisp run time of 2Hrs 12Mins.

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In the month of August last year, the makers of Gangster Gangaraju , unveiled the first look poster of Laksh Chadalavada who was spotted wearing an under cool outfit. He was seen sipping the coconut water.

The upcoming action entertainer Gangster Gangaraju is funded by well-known producer Padmavathi Chadalavada under the banner of Sri Tirumala Tirupati Venkstwshwara Films while Chadalavada Brothers are presenting this upcoming drama, which has the music by Sai Kartheek. The promotions of the film are going on in full swing. While the first look and songs of Gangster Gangaraju got a wonderful response. Being made with a different and first-of-its-kind storyline, the upcoming drama Gangster Gangaraju has all the thrilling elements for the movie lovers.

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Gangster Gangaraju Censor report and run time - Tollywood

What is Censorship? – National Coalition Against Censorship

What is censorship?

According to Websters Dictionary, to censor means to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable. The word censor originated in ancient Rome, where the government appointed officials to take the census and to supervise public morals. Censorship happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their political or moral values on others by suppressing words, images, or ideas that they find offensive.

A censor, traditionally, is an official whose job it is to examine literature, movies, or other forms of creative expression and to remove or ban anything she considers unsuitable. In this definition, censorship is something the government does. But censorship can also be accomplished very effectively by private groups.

Not all forms of censorship are illegal. When private individuals agitate to eliminate TV programs they dislike, or threaten to boycott the companies that support those programs with advertising dollars, they are certainly trying to censor artistic expression and interfere with the free speech of others. But their actions are perfectly legal; in fact, their protests are protected by the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Not even all government censorship is unlawful. For example, we still have laws against obscenity in art and entertainment. These laws allow the government to punish people for producing or disseminating material about sex, if a judge or jury thinks the material is sufficiently offensive and lacks any serious value.

What is the basis for free expression in the United States?The First Amendment (Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances) protects against government restrictions on or interference with the content of speech. The First Amendment applies to Government at the national, state, and local level.

Why should I care about censorship?Understanding of First Amendment freedoms is fragile and imperiled by increasingly effective and sophisticated attacks. In numerous communities, people are determined to impose their own narrow views on everyone else, and censor what they do not approve.The First Amendment exists to protect speech and activities that are unpopularif only those ideas which were popular were protected, it wouldnt be needed. Limiting free speech is unAmericanwithout it, all our rights and liberties quickly disintegrate.Censorship is an assault on the rights of all of us. We must continue to fight for the freedom to read, to see, to know, and to think for ourselves.

How can I fight back against censors in my community?Heres what you can do to organize locally.

Where can I get further information on censorship?For more information about censorship, here is a list of NCACs resources, or drop us an e-mail here.

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What is Censorship? - National Coalition Against Censorship

Shanghais Censors Cant Hide Stories of the Dead – WIRED

ZHOU SHENGNI NEEDED a doctor, and fast. The 49-year-old, who was having an asthma attack, was being driven by her family to Shanghai East Hospital, where she worked as a nurse, for urgent treatment. It was March 23, and the Chinese city was under a strict Covid lockdown.

However, when they arrived at the emergency department, Zhous family found that it was closed for disinfection under Shanghais rules to contain the spread of Covid. In urgent need of medical care, they had no choice but to drive to another hospital about 9 kilometers away. Zhou later died.

Zhous death caused outrage on Chinese social media, but it was not an isolated incident. Shanghais citywide lockdown lasted two months, with most restrictions removed on June 1. But, for those two months, almost nothing movedincluding the citys hospitals, which were hit by sudden closures, with many restricting their services to emergencies only. Patients in need of medical help were told to present a negative PCR test to access care.

From February to May, health authorities in Shanghai had reported 588 deaths related to Covid-19, the majority elderly residents. But officials didnt count people like Zhou, who may have died as a result of the citys lockdown restrictions.

Discussions about the collateral damage of Chinas zero-Covid policy are heavily restricted in the country. Censors have blocked comments from people opposing the pandemic strategy, including remarks made by World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. But, as ever in China, censorship has not stopped people from finding technical workarounds to express dissent.

On April 14, a WeChat account called Shi You shared an article entitled Shanghai Deceased, which reported on people in the city who had seemingly died as a result of harsh lockdown restrictions. The articles comment section was quickly flooded with messages from people saying they had also heard of or knew someone who had died during the lockdown.

Capser Yu immediately realized that both the article and its comments were important. A Shanghai native now working in Singapore, Yu had heard stories of people back home who had lost loved ones during lockdown. One of those lost was Chen Xiangru, a 3-year-old girl who was reportedly unable to receive timely treatment when she developed a serious fever in late March. Chen died in hospital while waiting for the result of a PCR test doctors required to provide treatment.

Worried that censors would hide crucial evidence, Yu started taking screenshots of the WeChat article. A few hours later, WeChat scrubbed the article. When people in China tried to open the article again, all that was left was a message saying it violates regulations.

Yu reposted the content on a blog he created, called Real China, to help keep his parents in Shanghai informed about how news in China was being reported overseas. Within hours, Chinese censors blocked the reposted content. Yu says the article, which is still accessible outside China, was read by more than 20,000 people before it was censored. The link has since started working again for unknown reasons and, by the end of June, had become the most-read post on Yus blog.

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Shanghais Censors Cant Hide Stories of the Dead - WIRED

RANKIN CREATIVE LAUNCH EXHIBITION TO PLATFORM THOSE UNFAIRLY CENSORED ON SOCIAL MEDIA – Yahoo Finance

"CENSORSHIP IS A TOOL, BUT ONE THAT IS OFTEN USED INADVERTENTLY TO SILENCE MARGINALISED VOICES," SAYS CREATIVE FOUNDER & PHOTOGRAPHER, RANKIN.

EXHIBITION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH QUANTUS GALLERY JUNE 16TH-24TH FEATURING RANKIN PORTRAITS OF 13 OF THE UNFAIRLY CENSORED COMMUNITY.

RANKIN'S CENSORED PORTRAITS OF THE UNSEEN MADE INTERACTIVE WITH AR EXPERIENCE BY MEDIA.MONKS, USING 8TH WALL.

THE UNSEEN GIVES VOICE TO HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY CENSORED AND SILENCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS.

LONDON, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --RANKIN CREATIVE has launched an online community project spotlighting unfair censorship by using its resources to re-platform those who've been unfairly silenced online. THE UNSEEN is open to anyone who has experienced Content removal, account removal, promotion/ad ban or shadow banning. The project intends to create a positive debate around this topic, to provoke change in attitudes and working practices.

"Censorship is a necessary tool to prevent fake news, protect children and more. But it is often used inadvertently to silence marginalised voices," said Creative Founder & Photographer, Rankin.

THE UNSEEN is specifically highlighting the breadth and severity of unfair censorship in a way that's not been seen before. The statistics of those who have joined the community highlight the core reasons marginalised people feel they are being censored:

FEMALE BODY & SEXISM/MISOGYNY

RELATED EXPERIENCES 29.6%

EXPERIENCES OF HOMO/QUEERPHOBIA 10%

POLITICALLY RELATED EXPERIENCES 7%

FATPHOBIA/PLUS SIZE DISCRIMINATION 5%

ABLEISM EXPERIENCES 4%

RACISM EXPERIENCES 4%

"IT'S A CONTINUOUS, FRUSTRATING GAME OF WHACK-A-MOLE WITH PLATFORMS, SO MUCH SO THAT I'VE ENDED UP BLENDING MY PHD IN THE MODERATION OF ONLINE ABUSE WITH MY EXPERIENCES OF CENSORSHIP," SAYS UNSEEN COMMUNITY MEMBER DR CAROLINA ARE.

The project has generated incredible interest, even at it's early stages, with hundreds of people from all over the world sharing their stories and joining the discussion. The stories shared on THE UNSEEN entry form and the posts that the entrant had censored will all be included on THE UNSEEN website launching on the 15th of June.

Story continues

"We've had an incredible response so far, and we're just getting started," said Rankin. "This is an important issue, and those affected deserve to have a voice in the policies that affect them on the platforms they love and build their businesses on."

To launch the project, RANKIN has partnered with Digital-first Quantus Gallery in Shoreditch, London to hold a public exhibition. The show will feature all the posts and several of the stories submitted by entrants, alongside portraits of 13 of the community photographed by Rankin and made Interactive by the experiential design team at Media.Monks.

"We wanted to put the viewer back in control, and subvert the relationship we have with the images we see online, so working with Media.Monks was ideal. I also think it's important to show how emerging technologies like 8th Wall can be used positively, to make things fairer," said Rankin

"We're thrilled to be launching this project to the public, we hope the simple act of creating a database and awareness of these stories will help make a difference. But we're far from done, we'll be working until the system is fairer." said the creatives driving the project OPALUKE (Opal Turner and Luke Lasenby.)

The website (theunseen.site) and exhibition will launch on the 15th of June at 7pm and be open to the public from the 16th - 24th June at Quantus Gallery 11-29 Fashion Street, London, E1 6PX.

PRESS ONLY - To attend the launch please email your name to rsvp@rankin.co.uk.

ABOUT RANKIN CREATIVE

RANKIN CREATIVE IS AN INDEPENDENT CREATIVE AGENCY FOUNDED BY THE EPONYMOUS PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE POLYMATH, RANKIN.

"We work with progressive brands, businesses and people to drive growth creatively and commercially using the power of popular culture, taking on some of society's biggest tensions and taboos."

Our deep roots in the visual arts and editorial world fuels our approach that ensures our work is leading culture and makes real behaviour changing impact."

RANKIN.CO.UK

ABOUT QUANTUS GALLERY

Quantus is Europe's first NFT Gallery and Advisory on London's Fashion Street, Co/founded by James Ryan of Grove Square Galleries and crypto currency and NFT expert Josh Sandhu. A hybrid Gallery, Quantus are at the forefront of all things NFT related, supporting new artists and collectors on their journey.

ABOUT MEDIA.MONKS

Media.Monks is a digital-first marketing and advertising services company that connects content, data and digital media and technology services and produces websites, games, films, social media content, digital advertising campaigns, data and measurement solutions, and more.

For Press Enquiries please visit media.monks.com.

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SOURCE RANKIN CREATIVE

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RANKIN CREATIVE LAUNCH EXHIBITION TO PLATFORM THOSE UNFAIRLY CENSORED ON SOCIAL MEDIA - Yahoo Finance